Issues: Nuclear Weapons

When the Cold War ended, many people came to believe that the threat of nuclear annihilation was a thing of the past. Since nuclear weapons were built to wage the Cold War, the fall of the Soviet Union would lead to the end of the nuclear threat. Tragically, the hopes of the 1990s bred complacency rather than action. Although the likelihood of a nuclear war between superpowers has diminished over the past ten years, a serious nuclear threat remains.

I. Introduction
II. The Lingering Threat of Nuclear Weapons
III. The Policies of the Bush Administration
IV. Alternative Policies for a More Secure World
V. Opportunities to Influence Policy
VI. Conclusion
VII. Glossary
VIII. Additional Resources
Map of Nuclear Weapon States
Congressional Funding Process for Nuclear Weapons

Some experts are even arguing that the threat of an attack with a nuclear device may be more potent today than during the height of the Cold War.

Ironically, as the nuclear threat has grown in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for policymakers to stay focused on the disarmament agenda. The attacks of September 11, 2001, transformed the U.S. sense of security. Terrorism is now thought to be the most urgent security concern facing the United States. Many in Congress are now so consumed by fear of terrorism that policies unfathomable five years ago are now being supported. Policies of "preemptive" nuclear strikes, new "usable" nuclear weapons, and resumption of nuclear testing are now openly discussed in Washington. After 50 years of congressional support for a global system of nuclear restraint, norms, and agreements, many in Congress and the Bush Administration are attempting to re-write the rules of international security in the name of fighting terrorism.

The U.S. finds itself at a crossroads between re-nuclearization and disarmament. Congress has tough choices to make in the coming years. The U.S. must choose between a future that continues to, as Dr. Martin Luther King said, "spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of nuclear annihilation,"¹ or a future where problems are solved through reason, cooperation, and imagination.

The public will play a key role in shaping the outcome of this debate. Throughout the past 50 years, governments have grudgingly adopted nuclear arms control and disarmament policies due in great part to public pressure. The public has shown the ability to turn staunch supporters of the war system into ardent nuclear abolitionists. Concerned citizens can do this again by raising issues of conscience, asking tough questions, and insisting that elected officials focus on their constituents' concerns. This short report offers readers the information they need to embark upon the mission of building a safer and saner world free of nuclear weapons.

¹ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Address in Acceptance of Nobel Peace Prize." Oslo, Norway, December 10, 1964.

Next >